As Presidential Debates Approach: How Classroom Debates Can Transform Civil Discourse

Four years ago, the Presidential debates between Joseph Biden and Donald Trump were characterized by unstructured bombast, interruption, and insult. In the Chicago Tribune, Les Lynn and I argued that "we can rebuild civility by teaching kids how to debate, properly, in school.”

As the campaigns gear up for a debate rematch this week, new rules—including muted microphones, no live audience, and moderator controls—aim to improve the tone and tenor.

The Power of Productive Debate: Listening and Reasoning in a Divided Nation

In an era marked by deep divisions, the urge to sideline debates is understandable but misguided. It might be tempting to discontinue debates, but the real takeaway is that our society needs more, not fewer. As Les (the founder and director of Argument-Centered Education) and I wrote, “It’s just that we need those debates to adhere to agreed-upon formats, including listening to opponents and grounding persuasion in evidence and reasoning. Americans have widely differing viewpoints across our large, diverse country, and structured debate allows people to disagree respectfully and productively.” The trend of severe polarization cannot be resolved through denial of disagreements or by forcefully silencing our opponents.

The Classroom as a Crucible: Fostering Civil Debate and Productive Disagreement in Education

The most effective place to cultivate debate may be within American educational institutions. We need to prepare our students, who will become the next generation of voters, with the analytical and reasoning abilities to engage in and evaluate discussions. The National Association for Urban Debate Leagues and the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) are working to expand access to debate. As Les and I wrote: “Our government leaders may have forgotten how to debate effectively, but our schoolteachers can play a vital role in guiding us back to norms for civil, productive disagreement.”

Shaping Thoughtful Citizens: Engaging Students and Setting Civic Expectations

The advantages of classroom debate will be twofold: our children will develop the ability to have meaningful discussions about important topics, and future American voters will begin to expect more from their leaders.

Students must recognize that effective debate is essential for deeply exploring and personally connecting with pressing issues of social concern. As Les and I argue: “As educators, we can show them this by hosting classroom debates on essential questions within the school curriculum or on public controversies affecting students’ lives. But we must take the rules seriously: Intentionality about evidence standards, refutation requirements and speech burdens place guardrails on the discussion, focusing it on the facts and what they mean.” We must teach the rules and techniques, as well as the importance of embracing them for meaningful and effective debate.

These lessons go beyond encouraging kids to participate; they aim to teach them to expect higher standards from their leaders. The decline of civil and reasoned political discourse in our democracy mirrors the shortcomings of our education system. To shift how our politicians make decisions, our best strategy is to educate a more critical, evidence-focused, open-minded, and rational American populace.

From Aversion to Action: Reducing Reluctance and Reviving Structured Controversy?

Unfortunately, as Les and I wrote, “educators have shied away from giving argumentation and debate a prominent place in public schools. Some teachers are averse to controversy. Some have a well-intentioned but misguided view that academic argument entrenches division. Others are unfamiliar with the pedagogy.”

Structured conversations, turn-taking, and similar skills used to be widely taught in American schools. Nowadays, however, students have less time and fewer opportunities to develop these important abilities. However, by intentionally incorporating argumentation and debate into our classrooms, we can teach students the fundamentals and rules of debate, helping to restore our capacity for productive disagreement.

For too long, we've sought ways to sidestep division and disagreement. The best approach is to face them directly: educating our public school students on the importance of reasoned, evidence-based arguments and expecting our leaders to engage in regular debates.

From Debate to Collaboration: The Olson-Boies Partnership That Changed History

Ted Olson and David Boies, two prominent attorneys from opposite ends of the political spectrum, joined forces to challenge California's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage. Once fierce debate rivals, they became unlikely colleagues. Olson, a conservative Republican and former Solicitor General under President George W. Bush, and Boies, a liberal Democrat known for his role in the Bush v. Gore case, put aside their political differences to advocate for marriage equality. Their collaboration underscored the power of bipartisanship, highlighting that the right to marry transcends political affiliations and is a fundamental human right. Their united legal strategy culminated in the landmark case Perry v. Schwarzenegger, where they successfully argued that Proposition 8 violated the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment, leading to its eventual overturn by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The partnership between Olson and Boies was a legal triumph and a significant cultural moment. Their efforts shifted public opinion and demonstrated that marriage equality was not a partisan issue but a matter of civil rights. Their journey from debate opponents to united advocates for a common cause showcased the transformative power of debate and collaboration in overcoming deep-seated differences.

Emerging Evidence: How Debate Programs Boost Academic Performance and Civic Participation

The National Association for Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL) emphasizes the significant benefits of debate programs in urban schools. These programs teach students essential skills like research, critical thinking, public speaking, and teamwork. Debate also empowers students by giving them a platform to express their ideas, boosting their confidence, and enabling them to engage in meaningful discussions on important societal issues.

Studies indicate that students participating in debate programs tend to perform better academically, have higher high school graduation rates, and are more likely to attend college. Debate encourages civic engagement and helps students understand complex topics more deeply. By supporting urban debate leagues, we can prepare the next generation with the necessary skills for success in higher education and their future careers.

For more detailed information, you can visit the Urban Debate website.

Prominent Former Debaters Demonstrate the Value of Classroom Debate.?

Former debaters include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. Michael Gottlieb won two national debate championships with Ryan Sparacino and multiple top speaker awards at Northwestern. William Isaacson attended the University of Redlands on a debate scholarship. Neal Katyal, the Paul Saunders Professor at Georgetown University Law Center and former Acting Solicitor General of the United States, has argued 51 cases before the Supreme Court. Kelli Sager, a First Amendment litigation attorney launched her career on debate teams in high school and at West Georgia, honing skills in research and argumentation. Anjan Sahni won the National Debate Tournament at Emory University and the Georgia High School State Tournament at Westminster. Stuart Singer is the past board chair of the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues. Steven Sklaver won the National Debate Tournament for Dartmouth and is one of only four people to win three national championships at both high school and collegiate levels.

Notable former debaters include: Lindsay Harrison, Ellen Oberwetter, Michael Horowitz, Stephen Bailey, Stephen Perry, Alex Turkeltaub, Radha Iyengar Plumb, David Damus, Josh Lynn, Corey Stoughton, Jon Paul Lupo, Adam Goldstein, Lawrence Heftman, Shorge Sato, Randy Luskey, Kelly P. Dunbar, Marc Wallenstein, Jason Hernandez, Joe Terry, Alex Iftimie, Sean McCaffity, David Glass, Alex Berger, Trace Johnson, Christian Lundberg, Craig Wickersham, Eli Kay-Oliphant, David Coale, Jennifer Wade, Lenny Gail, Jonathan Massey, Scott Hessell, Michael Dickler, John Day, Gordon Mitchell, Nathan Haratani, Boris Bershteyn, David Coleman, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, David Hung, Steve Stein, Jeremy Goldberg, Karla Leeper, Matthew Whipple, Danielle Leek, PhD, Andrew Geppert, David Rosen, LaRue Robinson, Chris LaVigne, Jairus Grove, Todd Fine, Hajir Ardebili, Cyclone Covey, Erik Fogel, Ben Thorpe, Trevor Foster, Susan Napier, Luke Hill, Kacey Wolmer, Noah Monick, Bill Lynch, David Nemecek, Cameron Ward, CLCS, Tom Goldstein, Anne Marie Todd, Aaron Monick, Linda Listrom, Andrew Gold, Russ Falconer, George Kouros, Michael Eber, Steve Lehotsky, Caitlin Bruce, Melissa Maxcy Wade, Matthew Rice, Edward (Ed) Fox, Andrew Silverman, Ara Lovitt, Tristan Morales, Elle L. Lynch, Josh Branson, LaTonya K. Starks, Andy Ryan, Mason Miller, Paul Skiermont, Cody Morrow, Eun Young Choi, Lyn Robbins, Alexander Lennon, Christopher Robins, Michael Klinger, Hetal Doshi, Erin Abrams, Matthew Fisher, Robert Smith, Gordon Stables, David Cheshier, David Hingstman, Trevor Wells, Nathan Smith, Darin Snyder, Dan Shalmon, Tejinder Singh, Shuman Sohrn, Adrienne Brovero, James Roland, John K. Warden, William Russell, Arthur Broadwater, Jay Finch, PhD, Kristin Langwell, David Arnett, Jim Hanson, Kahlil Yearwood, Michael Janas, Annie Kastanek, Justin Green, Brian Smith, Grant McKeehan, Paul Derby, Jonathan Paul, Ian Wilbur, Brian Prestes, Jeff McNabb, Harris, Scott, Jonathan McCartney, Jane Boyd, M.Ed. Kamal Ghali, Timothy Barouch, Joel Rollins, Edmund Zagorin, Jonah Feldman, Aaron Kall, Michael Hester, Jeff Parcher, Kelly Steele, Tim Sanders,

Conclusion

As we prepare for this week’s presidential debate, let us remember that fostering respectful disagreement begins in our classrooms. By equipping students with the tools for civil debate, we can build a future where leaders are held to higher standards of discourse and reasoning. Join the conversation and share your thoughts on how we can collectively improve the state of our nation’s debates.

Read the original piece here: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2020/10/08/commentary-we-can-rebuild-civility-by-teaching-kids-how-to-debate-properly-in-school/